Material handling means



Aug. 20, 1935. P, A B ET AL 2,011,621

MATERIAL HANDLING MEAN S Filed Jan. 13, 1934 30 so that an operator may operate the, same easily offspring steel so that thesarne are resilient both 1 t I Patented Aug. 20, 1935 v "Torre STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 v i2,-o11,e21 l i 1 Philip A. Erb, Cleveland Heights, and ErnestO.

Shilling,1South EucIiIL-Ohio Application January 13, 1934, Serial No. 706,476

9'Claims. (c1. sac-.1)

Thepresent invention is disclosed in principle Fig. e is a plan view of one end of the device and in some of its structure in our co-pending of Fig. l on a larger scale. application Serial No. 633,568, filed September Fig. '5 is a perspective view of the contacting l7, 1932,'for (Julinary-servingdevice.v portions of the handle parts showing teeth ex- I The present invention pertains to handling of tending uninterruptedly across the portions. 5 materials, particularly of tood'stufis., and entails Fig. 6 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 5 improvements'in preparing, for cooking and the but showing the teeth interrupted or pyramidic like, and in serving of the materials. in form. An object of the present invention is to provide f Fig.1? is a plan view of the end of oneof the a method and a device for handling of material receptacle bars with one of the legs secured there- 10 I in such a manner that fingers of an operator need to.

, not come into contact with the material therein "Fig. 8 is .a fragmental section, on a larger scale,

during any stage between the placing thereof into taken on the line 8-'-8 of Fig. 3. the'device and the servingthereoi. Fig. 9 is an end view of thedevice of Fig. 1

l5 Another object of the present invention is to but opened to release and discharge material provide .a means and method most sanitary'for therefrom onto a plate.

preparing and serving food stufis. Similar reference characters refer to, similar Another object offithe present invention is to parts throughout the views. v provide a simple, easilyand efficiently operable, The present invention comprises a receptacle and efificient method and meansior carrying out for a material to be opened and closed at a side the present invention. i thereof, 'feet on the receptacle to hold the same Another object of the present invention is to jabeve a supporting, surface for the device, and a provide such a device with means whereby the handle means to control the opening and closing same can be opened for reception and discharge of the receptacle. of material and automatically closed for reten- "The bars I 0 and H are substantially parallel t'ion of material. r with each other, form a stiffening means for the Another object of the present invention is to receptacle, and are" movable toward and away provide a simplefeasily operable means and from each other sidewise. method for operating and handling thejdevice The loop membe s l2, 14 and w r made and conveniently with one hand and leaving hisways for opening and closing of the. loops thereother hand free for other activity. f off'fIhe ends of the loops are formed into the Another object of the present invention is'to feet I6, [1, l8 I9, 20, 2|, 22, and 23, rspechave the'operating means of the device serve as t vely, y bending the end P each 1 9 a handle for the device so that the device may be the part adjacent thereto so that each foot is carried about and operated without changing the formed of two substantially parallel portions of operating hand thereon or removing the same the end of the corresponding loop.

therefrom or in anymanner touching the mate- Each outer end 23a, and 22a of each loop is rial therein during its handling and serving. secured to the corresponding one of the bars. The

40 Other objects will be pointed out in this spec'iparts 2 2bof the loops are also secured to the corlo fiicati'on or will become obvious and apparent'and responding'one of theibars in the manner shown suggestive upon an inspection of this specification inFigs. 7 and 8. For this joint between the loop and the accompanying drawing. members and the bars, the'part '24 is slitted loose The present invention is illustratively shown in from the bar but not entirely .separated therethe accompanying drawing forming part of'ithis from and bent inwardly of the bar. The foot -15 specification; in which drawing and the. end .of the loop is then pushed through Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a device, embodythe slot 'formed by the bending of the part 25 ing our invention, for receiving and retaining Which'may then beset upon the parts of the therein and releasing material therefrom; and loops to hold the bars to the'loops. shows the device as being placedintoa pot .for A pressure tool is then applied to the part 24,

' preparation of material in the device. 1 between the wires therein, to press the middle Fig. 2 is an end view of the device of Fig. I on portion. of the part2'4 toward the bar and therea largerscale; by permanently hold the loop members to the Fig. '3 is a section taken on the line 3-3' of "bars. The same structure is followed with all of V Fig, 4. the feet. The feet on one end of all of the loop '5 membersare thus secured to one ofv the bars and thefeet on theother end of all of the loop members arethus secured',to..the other one of the bars. t is quite obvious that the loop members can be Welded or soldered to the bars or held thereon in any other manner with the object in view of, permanently and securely holding the loop members to the bars.

to retainithelloops'above asurface-f of a pot or the like so that material inlthe receptacle does" not comefintocontact with that surface to prolei. ,vide sanitation and to prevent injuryto material in the receptacle during cooking thereof brother heat requiring operation thereon,

the wall of, the receptacle' 'for the purpose of leaving exposed "as? muchffa's' possible of the ?surface of materi'a'l fin; the receptacle softhati heat or other preparatory ielemer smay I aye cess thereto; a

' The bars are" placed nearfthebottomsj 'of the loop members so thatthe sameqcarry most of the weight of the material the; receptacle during preparation and serving thereof thusrelievi ing the-very thin loop members of load thereon at that the same mayservjthe'i'sole ip'urpose of outlining the receptacle and" retaining 'maiterial therein'while the same isclosed f The"barsareduplicates of each other andfth'e -loop members are duplicates of efaeh other to pr'ovide'economy in structure'of ithe'device.j""

' Theehandle or takie'j holdmeans forjthe st isfcomposed of two relativelyf'movable, mutually contacting parts Ziand 2a: The part zfihaaon end ithereoffsecured" td the bar I 6 l and: on of; thepart'lfi is secured tof'the bar' ll. middle portions 21 and 28 of the partsfl 25, respectively, are curved. or arched 'outwaliadly I of -ithe. receptae'leto beyond the outside offthe' looplfmembers so'that matev al within theloop members can not come' in o ontact with the -parts flaring ends [29 and '30 "at the] topthereof. "f'Ifhe ar uate; portion 3|; or the part 2521 curved or arched inwardly of the handle sothat -theseztwio portions; 29 and some; ride on each other when the ri'a'ndleis operatedas will be explained herein below}; v I

The handle the can be? adjusted alas-vs to contact with eaclio ther e he h jn 'P 1 8, M ,l different teeth than wh e s shownfin' meanwingxt djust thejbar's lilyan'dfiji relativej to each other when desired forf efiectingjembracing and discharging of vmaterial otherithanfthe substan relation and one or more, maylnot be ben t out of that. relation. when the; device is carelessly handled., The'rtierod 'isiconveniently attached to" the 'loopi members by; c'utti'ngjthe' slitsf 34 into de' 7 thereof but severingthe part} 5 from frodfbythree sides only and-bending the part 7 35 somewhat away from; the rod; then messa es vi t e J e? m mie were parts are andare not operated. l

In"l?ig."5,"the teethBE are shown continuous ,across the faces ofthe parts25 and 2G. The bars it and H extend longitudinallywof the receptacle while the loop me mbers extend transversely'of the bars sheet the receptacle. This formation, with thefeet crossing at theibote: I toms ofthe loop members, forms a substantial 7 receptacle With'the least amount'of' material v w n thereof.

correspondingparts 325 andlthen pressing the partly severed parts 35 against the loop portions similarly as shown in Figs? and 8 and thereby frictionally holding the tie-rod onto the loop members to retain the latter in relation to each being bent by careless handlingof the device.

Thecontacting surfaces of v the handle parts 25 and 2%; have teeth thereon so that thesame This .p-is an economical manner of providing the teeth but has the objection of not holding thevparts 25 and 26 in relation longitudinally of the device although; they do relate the same effectively transversely of the device.

in Fig; I 6; theteeth 236 are shown as interrupted transversely of the parts 25 and 26 so that teeth other and to prevent one or'morelof them from 7 oione of'the rts-engages corresponding teeth of the other 'partfboth longitudinally and transl yersely'of the'device to holdthe Darts and 26 and the" bars, it) and I I in'desired relations both longitudinally and transversely; of the device either when the'd'evice isat' rest or whilethe same "is 'beingtran' sported for while the same is being operated; V r

' T he deviceishowniand described operates as follows;

t 'Th'e'b ars'. l0 and [together with the resilient material embracing-loop me'mbers'andjth'e feet therebri'comprisethereceptacleformaterial. v The resilient loop members normally tend to hold the receptacle closed to'be opened at one side thereof by ;movingj;the bars NJ and H awayfrom each otherf by means'of the handle thereon against and r to automatically close itself when pressure on' 'theihandle is removed.

\ I e] device is to be loaded or lmaterial placed" thereinto, "such as 1 stem like vegetables,

"sausagesan'dthe likQfirst bundled by hand or tied; into a bundle, or single vegetables and the like; it is' taken hold ofl'by uthe lhandle without neces sity of touching any other partthereof with the fingers or, other'partof 'the hand and is held upsidefdown fromfthe positions shown in .[the l drawing. "A' pressure exerted on the outer' ends pf theoutflafing'endsZQ "and 39' of 'the handle 4Q the action of the'resiliency in the loop members fpartsZE and 26; toward each other, causesthe" :arcuate-portions 3'] and132'to ride. on each other jand'toseparate the. bars Hi and H and thereby open oneside of, "the receptacle whereupon the materialcan be plac'ed thereintoQ Alre'lease of pressure'from the outflaring ends cause the re- I ceptacl'e;,to close" automatically toembrace the material therein and tojretain it therein sothat the devicecan thereafter? be turned as shown in thedrawin'g or, handled "in I any other manner without danger'of the 'materiallfalling out of-the receptacle,

'The device 'withthe material therein is then placed into the pot A or other similar device ffor preparation'jof the material in the device. The

feet rest on the bottom of thepot andgsincje the same: extend below the, bottom of the receptacle,

holdfthej receptacle above the bottom of the pot so that material, in the receptaclelneed not come into contact with the bottom thereof and willnqt thereby ;be deteriorated during preparation I This elevation of the receptacle above the bottorn of the pot also provides space between the material in "thereceptacle and the-bottom of the pot fdr free circulation of a preparing medium, such as cooking liquid, around the material in the receptacle. The sidewise spacing of the bars It and H also affords a means for allowing the preparation medium free access tothe material in the receptacle. The/feet close the loops at the bottom and also contact the bars I!) and ll so that the resiliency theloops can not contact .t'he .barsxon each other and thereby hold the bars sidewise spaced to provide a space between them longitudinally of the receptacle' When the material in the receptacle is fully prepared, as by cooking or other means, appropriate to the material and selection of preparation, either in the pot as shown or in any other manner, the device is removed from the preparing This maybe done by taking hold of the handle as the device and lifting the same out of the preparing means. gers of an operator need not come into contact with material in the receptacle since the handle extends to and beyond the outside of the receptacle and thereby provides sanitation for the device. When the device gets too hot during the preparation of material therein, the operator may use gloves to protect his fingers against the heat or he may use a hook or some other equivalent instrument to grab the device to lift the same out of the preparing means.

When the so far prepared material is to be further prepared, as by seasoning or other equivalent procedure, the device is taken hold of by the handle and moved about into difierent and various positions for convenient access to the material therein for such seasoning and the like without the fingers needing to touch the material in the device and without the material being displaced therein.

When the material is fully prepared and ready for serving, the device, While still closed, is set upon a transporting means, such as the plate 3 shown in Fig. 9 or its equivalent, by taking hold of the handle of the device, without the fingers needingto touch the material therein, and conveying the same to and setting the same onto the transporting means so that the feet rest thereon and thereby keepthe material from coming into contact with the transporting means. Transporting ofthe device and material therein may also be effected by taking hold of the device by means of the handle thereon and moving the same about as desired and even carrying the same to the place of serving without the fingers needing to come into contact with material therein.

When'the device is transported to the place of serving, such as the plate B, either directly or by a transporting means, the device is'taken hold of by means of the handle, without the fingers needing to come into contact with material therein.

and is disposed over the plate B, Fig. 9. A pressure then on the outflaring upper ends of the handle parts to move the same toward each other causes the arcuate, contacting portions of the handle parts to ride on each other, forming a sort of a fulcrum for the handle parts, and thereby During this lifting, the firs without the fingers needing to come into contact with the material.

Due to the simultaneous, gradual and even opening movement of the bars m and H and the feet moving separatingly during opening of the device, the feet form a funnel-like structure to guide the material out of the device and the material is released gradually and without jolt or jar and without breaking it upor even damaging the same in looks and structure.

Thereafter, a lifting movement of the devic from the plate, leaves the material on the plate and removes the device from the material without the fingers needing to come into contact with the material.- 1

When the pressure on the outfiaring ends of the handle parts is released, after the material is released, the resiliency in the loop members automatically moves the bars Ill and H toward each Therefore, without limiting ourselves to the precise application of our invention as shown and described. nor to the structure and arrangement of parts as shown and described,

We claim:

1. A device of the class described having a receptacle normally self closing to embrace and to hold food stuffs therein and made of thin material to expose as much surface as possible of the food stuffs, and a handle means extending from said receptacle to beyond a side thereof and adapted, upon manipulation thereof, to effect opening of said receptacle and to permit self closing of said receptacle.

2. A device of the class described having a receptacle to be opened and closed and comprising substantially parallel bars, loop members of spring material each secured to each of said bars and normally closing said receptacle, and a handle means secured to said bars to transport the device and to control the opening and the closing of said receptacle.

3. A device of the class described having a receptacle to be opened and closed at a side thereof and comprising substantially parallel bars, self closing spring loops transversely of said bars and secured thereto, and a foot formed on each end of each of said loops and secured to said bars.

4. A device of the class described having a receptacle to be opened and closed at a side thereof, related stiffening bars forming part of said rei ceptacle, a handle comprising relatively movable parts, each secured to the corresponding one of said bars, and engaging teeth between said parts to guide the same in their relative movement and to retain the same in longitudinal relation.

5. A device of the class described having a receptacle to be opened and closed at a side thereof, related stiffening bars forming part of said receptacle, a handle comprising relatively movable parts, each secured to the corresponding one of said bars, and mutually engaging means between said parts to guide the same in their relative movement and toretain thesame in longi-- tudinal and lateral relation;

;;6,-;Laterally spaced, self closingloop members, :each' having av part to diametrically, embrace stem -like rnaterial legs extendingfrom said. parts and gcrossingjeach; other for closing of; the ,loop and formingyfeet' to supportthe device and, to

retain the material above a supporting surface;

and ,formingiunnel-like structure when the loop members are opened, a tie rod connecting said lo op members, and means for opening said. loop members for insertion oi material vinto'the device and discharge of material therefrom.

V 7;. Lateral1y spaced, self closing, loop members,

* each having a parttodiametrically embrace .1 and forming funnel-like structure when the loop members arejopened, artiegrod connecting? said 2 device. v v- 1 a n 8. In a device for preparing-and transporting.

loop members; and means ifor simultaneously opening :said; loop members ,for reception of material-into and, discharge of material from the and'serving, of food, co-o'perating sections related to normallyf form a. receptacle-and being relatively movable to deform, the receptacle, a handle means composedcof .parts individually secured to i said sections to deform and "to transportisaid re-r ceptacle} said parts being interengaging to relate said-sectionsior fprmingjand deforming of said receptacle,1 and a spring means-torelate said sections tolform said receptacle. r

9. Ina device for preparing and-transporting.

and serving 'of food, ,co-operating'skeletonsec: tions related to normally form; a receptacle and being relatively movable to deform the receptacle, the materialof said sectionsvbeing thin :where the samecontactsthe material in said receptacle to expose as, much as possible ,of the surface of the material in' 'said receptacle, a handle means for transporting of the'device and having parts secured to respectiveones of said'sections and being interengaging to relate said sections for form-: ing and deforming said receptacle, and receptacle supporting feet on each of said sections and crossing each "other toclose said receptacle and support,.,-,- l v v PHILIP A. ,ERB.

ERNEST 0; SI-IILLING.

-.extending outwardly of the receptacle when so crossed to retain said, receptacle" above the 

